How to Install and Use LibreOffice on elementary OS

LibreOffice is a practical office suite for elementary OS users who need to create documents, edit spreadsheets, prepare presentations, or open Microsoft Office files without paying for a subscription. It includes Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base, and Math, giving a home computer or work laptop a broad set of productivity tools.

The suite fits well with elementary OS because both projects favour a clean desktop and accessible software. Whether you are studying in Melbourne, managing invoices in Brisbane, or preparing a community newsletter in Adelaide, LibreOffice can handle everyday office work while keeping your files on your own computer.

Choose The Best Installation Method

The simplest route is usually AppCenter. Open AppCenter from the dock or Applications menu, search for “LibreOffice”, and select the available package. Read the package information carefully, then choose Install and authenticate with your user password when prompted. The download may be large, so the process will take longer on a limited NBN connection or a mobile hotspot than on a fast fibre service.

AppCenter is convenient because it presents software in a familiar graphical interface and manages future updates alongside other elementary OS applications. It is a good choice for beginners who do not want to work in Terminal. The exact package format and available version can vary according to the elementary OS release and the repositories configured on your system.

You can also install LibreOffice with APT if you prefer the command line. Open Terminal and run:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install libreoffice

Enter your account password when requested. Linux does not display characters while a password is being typed, which is normal. Press Enter after typing it, review the packages that will be installed, and confirm with Y if the details look correct.

If the standard repositories offer an older release, Flatpak can provide a separately maintained version. On an elementary OS installation with Flathub enabled, the command is commonly:

flatpak install flathub org.libreoffice.LibreOffice

Avoid installing several LibreOffice variants unless you have a clear reason. Having an APT package and a Flatpak package at the same time can create duplicate launchers and confusion about which version opens a document.

Start With Writer For Documents

Writer is LibreOffice’s word processor. Launch it from the Applications menu and select a blank document or a template. The main toolbar provides controls for fonts, alignment, spacing, headings, lists, tables, and page layout. If the interface looks busy, you can hide optional toolbars through the View menu and keep only the controls you regularly use.

For Australian documents, check the language settings before doing substantial editing. Go to Tools, Options, Language Settings, and Languages, then select English (Australia) where it is available. This helps the spellchecker recognise local forms such as “organise”, “colour”, and “centre”. You can also set Australian English as the default for new documents.

Page style settings are important for letters, assignments, and printable forms. Australian offices generally use A4 paper, so confirm that the page size is A4 rather than US Letter. You can adjust margins, headers, footers, page numbering, and orientation through the page style controls. These details matter when printing at a local Officeworks branch or sending a document to a workplace printer.

Use heading styles instead of manually enlarging every section title. Heading styles make long reports easier to navigate and allow Writer to build a table of contents automatically. The Styles sidebar also makes it possible to change the appearance of every heading in one place, which is much quicker than editing each heading separately.

Build Reliable Spreadsheets In Calc

Calc handles budgets, stock lists, rosters, calculations, and simple data analysis. A spreadsheet is organised into columns and rows, with each cell identified by a reference such as A1. Enter labels in the first row, keep one type of information per column, and avoid blank rows inside a data set when you expect to sort or filter it later.

Australian users may need to format prices in Australian dollars. Select the relevant cells, open the number-formatting options, and choose the Australian dollar symbol or create a custom currency format. Remember that a displayed currency format does not change the underlying value. A cell containing 100 remains one hundred, regardless of whether it is shown as $100.00, 100 AUD, or another format.

Dates can cause problems when files move between applications. Use a consistent Australian date style, such as dd/mm/yyyy, and check that Calc has interpreted imported dates as dates rather than plain text. A column that looks correct may still sort incorrectly if some entries are text. Testing the sort order with a copy of the file is safer than discovering the issue after sending a roster or financial report.

Basic formulas cover many home and small-business tasks. For example, =SUM(B2:B20) adds a range, while =AVERAGE(C2:C20) calculates an average. Functions such as IF, COUNTIF, and VLOOKUP are useful as a workbook grows. Use clear sheet names, freeze the top row for long lists, and add a short note explaining unusual assumptions, such as whether GST is included.

Calc can open Excel workbooks, but complex files may not behave identically. Pivot tables, macros, unusual fonts, external links, and advanced formulas are common sources of differences. Save a working copy in the native OpenDocument Spreadsheet format (.ods) while editing, then export or save a separate .xlsx copy when collaboration requires Microsoft Excel compatibility.

Create Presentations And Portable PDFs

Impress is designed for slide decks, training material, school presentations, and community meetings. Select a simple template, establish a consistent layout, and keep each slide focused on one idea. Large text and strong contrast are more useful than crowded slides filled with long paragraphs.

Images can be inserted through the Insert menu, then resized by dragging a corner handle so their proportions remain intact. Compress large images when a presentation becomes slow or difficult to email. If you are preparing slides for a meeting in Perth or a local council room, test the file on the presentation computer because fonts, display scaling, and video support can vary.

When a document needs to look the same on another computer, export it as a PDF. In Writer, Calc, or Impress, use File and Export as PDF, then check the page range, image quality, and accessibility options. A PDF is usually the best format for a finished invoice, application form, event programme, or report that recipients only need to read or print.

LibreOffice can also open many Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. Choose File and Open, or double-click a supported file in Files. If a file is attached to an email or downloaded from the web, save it to a known folder first. Files from unknown sources should be scanned and treated cautiously, especially if they contain macros or request that you enable active content.

For important documents, export a PDF and reopen it before sharing. Look for missing fonts, shifted page breaks, clipped charts, and altered line spacing. This quick check is valuable when sending material to a university, government department, employer, or print shop.

Adjust Compatibility And Everyday Settings

LibreOffice can save in several formats. OpenDocument Text (.odt), Spreadsheet (.ods), and Presentation (.odp) are its native formats and preserve the suite’s features most reliably. Microsoft formats such as .docx, .xlsx, and .pptx are often preferable when other people need to continue editing the file in Microsoft 365 or Office on Windows.

Set the default format according to the way you work. Open Tools, Options, Load/Save, and General, then select a document type and format under the default file format options. If you regularly exchange files with a workplace, keeping an OpenDocument master and exporting a compatibility copy is a sensible arrangement.

AutoSave and recovery options deserve attention. In Tools, Options, Load/Save, General, enable automatic recovery information if it is not already active. AutoSave does not replace a backup, but it can reduce data loss after a power failure, application crash, or accidental closure. elementary OS users should still copy important files to an external drive, a trusted cloud service, or another computer.

Templates can save time. Create a letterhead, invoice, meeting agenda, or budget with your preferred fonts, Australian page size, margins, and contact details, then save it as a template. A template reduces repetitive formatting and makes documents look consistent without forcing you to rebuild the layout each time.

Privacy is another reason to use a local office suite. Your files can remain in your home folder instead of being uploaded automatically to an online editor. That does not make a document automatically secure: use strong account protection, sensible file permissions, encrypted backups where appropriate, and care when sharing attachments.

Compare LibreOffice Tools With Alternatives

LibreOffice is strongest when you need a complete, offline-capable suite with broad file support. It is free to use and has no recurring licence fee, which can be useful for households, students, clubs, and small operators watching costs in the Australian market. Its interface may feel less minimal than elementary OS itself, but the extensive controls are valuable for detailed formatting.

Online suites may be easier for real-time collaboration, while Microsoft Office can provide the closest compatibility for organisations that depend heavily on proprietary features. A web editor also depends on a reliable connection, which can matter in regional areas or while travelling. LibreOffice gives you a dependable local option when the network is unavailable.

Broader technology reporting often examines how software fits into real working environments; one technology use report offers a useful reminder that tools should be judged by practical use rather than by feature lists alone. For elementary OS users, that means testing the programs and file formats your household, class, workplace, or community group actually relies on.

Need	LibreOffice on elementary OS	Online office suite	Microsoft Office
Cost	Free with no subscription	Often free for basic use	Usually subscription or paid licence
Offline work	Strong support	Limited or dependent on setup	Strong support
File formats	OpenDocument and common Microsoft formats	Varies by service	Native Microsoft formats
Collaboration	Possible through shared files or services	Usually excellent in real time	Strong, especially with Microsoft 365
Privacy control	Files can stay local	Data is generally stored online	Depends on account and organisation
Best fit	Home, study, small business, and flexible offline work	Browser-based teamwork	Organisations needing maximum Office compatibility

Keep A Simple Office Workflow

After installation, pin LibreOffice or its most-used components to the dock if you open them frequently. Keep active work in clearly named folders, such as Documents/Work, Documents/Study, or Documents/Household. Use filenames that include a date or version, for example community-budget-2025-06.ods, rather than relying on names such as final-final2.

For collaboration, agree on the file format before work begins. If another person will edit the document in Excel or Word, use the relevant Microsoft format for the shared copy and check the result after saving. If everyone is using LibreOffice, OpenDocument formats are generally the better choice. Exporting a PDF creates a stable reading copy, but it is not ideal for later editing.

LibreOffice on elementary OS is capable of handling routine office tasks without a complicated setup. Install it through AppCenter or the command line, configure Australian language and page preferences, choose formats carefully, and maintain backups. The key point to remember is that a dependable workflow comes from matching the right LibreOffice tool and file format to the work you actually need to do.